Tashon DeSilva, the former Bermuda men’s sevens rugby team captain, is coming out of retirement to play in the Rugby Americas North Sevens in Trinidad & Tobago .

DeSilva, 40, called time on his international career at the end of the RAN Sevens Olympic qualifiers last year, when Bermuda’s fifth-place play-off against Barbados, an encounter they lost 31-0, was meant to be his last international appearance.

But the Bermuda coach Jonathan Cassidy say DeSilva who now resides in Nottingham, England, where he plays for Mellish Rugby Football Club, has had a change of heart and is now available for the tournament at the Larry Gomes Stadium in Port of Spain from November 22 to 24.

“Tashon DeSilva has decided to come out of retirement and we've selected him for the trip to Trinidad,’’ Cassidy said.

“He’s come out of retirement for one last swan song. He now lives in the UK, where he’s been playing some decent club rugby and he’s fit. He was back on the island for a few months over the summer and we’re going to meet up with him in Miami.

“He’s a great guy, he’s been a phenomenal player and captain for this squad for a long time. Even though he retired, he still very much wants to be a part of this tournament, and we’re really glad it worked out and he’ll be joining us.”

Cassidy is grateful for the forward's return particularly as the Bermuda squad have recently lost a number of experienced players.

“We thought we had lost Tashon,” the coach said. “Losing him, Tom Healy, Dan Cole and Stephan Smit all in one hit, that was tough.

“That’s not to say we didn't think about bringing in Tom, Dan and Stephan for this one as well, but we want the younger guys to get a chance.

“Tashon brings something different, he’s a big powerful forward and we need that in this squad right now. He pleaded his case, not that I needed much convincing. The other leaders within the team agreed to have him back.

“The leadership now has Hadleigh Tucker, Alex Brown, Dizuri Gill, Tyler Kendall, Rory O'Kelly-Lynch and Antonio Perinchief.”

Cassidy, the Bermuda Rugby Football Board’s director of rugby, is back in charge of the team after taking over from Jamie Barnwell, who is now coaching the Cayman Islands.

With a new format for the tournament, in which Bermuda are part of the top tier, it promises to be a tough outing for Cassidy’s side.

“A realistic goal for us is to get to the semi-finals,’’ Cassidy said. “The format of the tournament has completely changed and it’s only the top eight in Tier 1 as opposed to a 16-team tournament that we’re used to where you get an easy pool game to ease you into your stride.

“There’s no easy games this time around in Tier 1. We’re in there with Canada who have just been relegated from the World Rugby Sevens Series.

“It’s usually Mexico, Jamaica and ourselves making up the top five in the region, behind the USA and Canada. Obviously Barbados are very strong and the home country Trinidad are going to be tough opponents as well.

“Cayman Islands have a fantastic coach now in Jamie Barnwell and Bahamas are the other team that will make up Tier 1.

“It’s a three-day tournament, which again is a different format for us. We’re playing one game on the Friday afternoon, and then the balance of the games on Saturday and Sunday.

“We have to finish in the top seven otherwise we’re getting relegated from Tier 1. The winner of T2 will come up next year and there’s no play-off games or anything of that sort.

“We’re confident that we will retain our place in Tier 1. We can get to the semi-finals and if things go our way, we could end up in the final, if not then the bronze medal match.”

Lucas Nyamoto, a former Kenya international working on the island, has joined Cassidy’s coaching team, with Neville Zuill and Jillian Brydon the other members of the technical department.

“We have Lucas Nyamoto, a former Kenya sevens player who recently moved to the island,” the coach said.

“He’s playing for Police and he’ll be travelling down to Trinidad as part of the coaching team. He’s been a big boost for us in helping the guys prepare for this tournament.

“I think Lucas has a big future in Bermuda rugby. He’s 26 years old, so he’ll be eligible to play international rugby for the island in five years. We’ll be leaning on him and others to get involved before when we travel to competitions where we are allowed to field non-Bermuda passport holders.

“Neville Zuill, who has been around the sevens squad as a player and team manager for a couple of decades, is travelling to Trinidad as the team manager. We also have Jillian Brydon, a former Bermuda’s rugby team player, she’ll be travelling down as our physiotherapist.”

A squad of 22 players has been preparing for the tournament, with the final 13 to make the trip the Caribbean. Training sessions have been taking place on North Field, National Sports Centre for players on island, but the venue is now unavailable because of the World Rugby Classic.